The Stanley Hotel
The Stanley Hotel
Deep in the Rocky Mountains some seventy miles from Denver in Estes
Park Colorado, stands the 138 room Georgian style structure, "The Stanley
Hotel."Isolated from the outside world this is known as one of the most
haunted hotels in the country. So packed with poltergeists that it was the
inspiration for one of the most bone chilling books of all time. There are
hundreds of spirits in the hotel. Many people who stay at the hotel say they
see and sense things and they now believe in ghosts.
The hotel is probably best known as being where Stephen King got the idea
for the book "The Shining". How scary does a hotel have to be to give
Stephen King goose bumps? Very, very scary! It doesn't help that this place
is a labyrinth of hallways and spiral staircases. The haunted landmark was
built at the turn of the century by F.O. Stanley inventor of The Stanley Steamer
Automobile. The Stanley was built in 1909. It was one of the first all electric
hotels west of the Mississippi. The Hotel also had all of the top line features
for the time, including a phone in each room, running water, indoor toilets.
The only thing that the Hotel did not offer was heat in each room, the
fireplaces on the main floor supplied the heat. This was not a problem
because the Hotel was designed to be used as a summer lodge, it was only
used in the summer until 1984. There have been many famous guests who
have come to stay at the hotel. "Teddy" Roosevelt for one. Also the
unsinkable Molly Brown, a Titanic survivor and also the Emperor and
Empress of Japan. Everyone wanted to stay at the Stanley but it wasn't until
1973 that a chance visit made the hotel a mecca for ghost hunters
everywhere. Stephen King came looking for an idea for his third book and
nothing was coming to him. So a friend suggested that he and his wife
Tabatha get out of town for the weekend. So they leave Boulder and start
driving west into the mountains and he sees the Stanley. The Stanley Hotel
in 1973 was very dilapidated and it looked a little spooky in fact. Well we all
know that is right up Stephen King's alley. He decides to go there and see if
he can spend the night there. Here gets there and it is the last day the hotel
is open. Everybody is leaving. Stephen King was left to wander around by
himself. He started roaming around the halls. He couldn't find his room. He
got lost in the hallways and this is where the idea came to him for the book
"The Shining". But the Stanley Hotel was haunted long before the master of
horror booked a room. In fact this place is so crowded with restless spirits
that the concierge gives daily ghost tours.
Guests also trade personal ghost stories every morning over breakfast.
The ground floor is frequented by F.O. Stanley himself and his wife
Flora. Call it micro managing from beyond the grave! F.O. Stanley
is believed to be back and still watching over things at the hotel. He
likes hanging around the lobby and in particular around the front
desk and the billiard room. On one such occasion, he was said to
have appeared during a tour group’s visit to the Billiard Room,
materializing behind a member of the tour. Bartenders at the old
hotel also report having seen F.O. stroll through the bar, disappearing when
they try to cut him off at the kitchen. Flora Stanley is also believed to be
haunting the hotel. She was a very accomplished piano player. She passed
away in 1939. She had a stroke right in the middle of the lobby. Almost
immediately after her passing she began playing the piano. That is one of
the oldest ghost stories in the hotel. Employees and guests have reported
hearing music coming from the room, and when they take a peek in
there, they can see the piano keys moving. However, as soon as
someone walks across the thresh-hold to investigate further, the
music stops and no more movement can be seen upon the keys of
the piano.
There are several rooms in the hotel that seem to be particularly
haunted. One is Room 407, which is said to sometimes be
occupied by Lord Dunraven, who owned the land prior to F.O.
Stanley. Reportedly, he likes to stand in the corner of the room
near the bathroom door. On one such account, witnesses reported
that a light in that corner kept turning on and off. While the light
was off, they told the ghost that they knew that he was there, they
would only be staying two nights, and would he please turn the light
back on. The light turned back on. However, later when the lights
were turned off and they were trying to sleep, noises were
constantly heard from the nearby elevator during a time when the
elevator was not in use. At other times, a ghostly face has been
reported to be looking out the window of Room 407, when the room
is not booked.
Room 418 gets the most reports of haunting activity apparently
from children’s spirits. Cleaning crews report having heard many
strange noises from the room, as well as seeing impressions on the
bed when the room has been empty. When guests stay in the
room, they often report that they hear children playing in the
hallway at night. One couple reportedly checked out of the hotel
very early in the morning, complaining that the children in the
hallway kept them up all night. However, there were no children
booked in the hotel at the time.
There have also been many reports by guests of haunting activities
in Rooms 217 and 401.
Tour guides tell a story of the ghost of a small child who has been
seen by many of the staff in various areas of the old hotel.
Reportedly, Steven King also saw the child, who was calling out to
his nanny on the second floor. Other past employees report
footsteps and apparitions seen throughout the building.
One of the most haunted areas in the entire hotel has got to be the
fourth floor hallway. In a real life scene of horrors thats recreated in
the pages of "The Shining", the spectral voices of children at play.
People will hear the children playing in the hallways, usually
between 2:00 and 4:00am. When people get up to look there are
no children there.
Fourth Floor Hallway
But some of the Stanley ghosts are not so playful as one employee
discovered in the haunted tunnel. A hundred yard long
subterranean corridor hidden under the main building. He was
going back to his office and was going to go through the employee
passageway. As he opened the door he felt as if someone was
going to punch him in the face as quickly ducked out of the way.
But there was nothing there. After he had the chills, goose bumps
and hair raising. He is now a believer. He is just one of the many
employees to have a paranormal encounter at the Stanley Hotel.
One thing is for sure. If you love ghosts you will find what you are
looking for here. If you don't believe try staying a night here and
see how you feel after that.
Excerpts and information from the The Travel Channel and Legends
of America
Deep in the Rocky Mountains some seventy miles from Denver in Estes
Park Colorado, stands the 138 room Georgian style structure, "The Stanley
Hotel."Isolated from the outside world this is known as one of the most
haunted hotels in the country. So packed with poltergeists that it was the
inspiration for one of the most bone chilling books of all time. There are
hundreds of spirits in the hotel. Many people who stay at the hotel say they
see and sense things and they now believe in ghosts.
The hotel is probably best known as being where Stephen King got the idea
for the book "The Shining". How scary does a hotel have to be to give
Stephen King goose bumps? Very, very scary! It doesn't help that this place
is a labyrinth of hallways and spiral staircases. The haunted landmark was
built at the turn of the century by F.O. Stanley inventor of The Stanley Steamer
Automobile. The Stanley was built in 1909. It was one of the first all electric
hotels west of the Mississippi. The Hotel also had all of the top line features
for the time, including a phone in each room, running water, indoor toilets.
The only thing that the Hotel did not offer was heat in each room, the
fireplaces on the main floor supplied the heat. This was not a problem
because the Hotel was designed to be used as a summer lodge, it was only
used in the summer until 1984. There have been many famous guests who
have come to stay at the hotel. "Teddy" Roosevelt for one. Also the
unsinkable Molly Brown, a Titanic survivor and also the Emperor and
Empress of Japan. Everyone wanted to stay at the Stanley but it wasn't until
1973 that a chance visit made the hotel a mecca for ghost hunters
everywhere. Stephen King came looking for an idea for his third book and
nothing was coming to him. So a friend suggested that he and his wife
Tabatha get out of town for the weekend. So they leave Boulder and start
driving west into the mountains and he sees the Stanley. The Stanley Hotel
in 1973 was very dilapidated and it looked a little spooky in fact. Well we all
know that is right up Stephen King's alley. He decides to go there and see if
he can spend the night there. Here gets there and it is the last day the hotel
is open. Everybody is leaving. Stephen King was left to wander around by
himself. He started roaming around the halls. He couldn't find his room. He
got lost in the hallways and this is where the idea came to him for the book
"The Shining". But the Stanley Hotel was haunted long before the master of
horror booked a room. In fact this place is so crowded with restless spirits
that the concierge gives daily ghost tours.
Guests also trade personal ghost stories every morning over breakfast.
The ground floor is frequented by F.O. Stanley himself and his wife
Flora. Call it micro managing from beyond the grave! F.O. Stanley
is believed to be back and still watching over things at the hotel. He
likes hanging around the lobby and in particular around the front
desk and the billiard room. On one such occasion, he was said to
have appeared during a tour group’s visit to the Billiard Room,
materializing behind a member of the tour. Bartenders at the old
hotel also report having seen F.O. stroll through the bar, disappearing when
they try to cut him off at the kitchen. Flora Stanley is also believed to be
haunting the hotel. She was a very accomplished piano player. She passed
away in 1939. She had a stroke right in the middle of the lobby. Almost
immediately after her passing she began playing the piano. That is one of
the oldest ghost stories in the hotel. Employees and guests have reported
hearing music coming from the room, and when they take a peek in
there, they can see the piano keys moving. However, as soon as
someone walks across the thresh-hold to investigate further, the
music stops and no more movement can be seen upon the keys of
the piano.
There are several rooms in the hotel that seem to be particularly
haunted. One is Room 407, which is said to sometimes be
occupied by Lord Dunraven, who owned the land prior to F.O.
Stanley. Reportedly, he likes to stand in the corner of the room
near the bathroom door. On one such account, witnesses reported
that a light in that corner kept turning on and off. While the light
was off, they told the ghost that they knew that he was there, they
would only be staying two nights, and would he please turn the light
back on. The light turned back on. However, later when the lights
were turned off and they were trying to sleep, noises were
constantly heard from the nearby elevator during a time when the
elevator was not in use. At other times, a ghostly face has been
reported to be looking out the window of Room 407, when the room
is not booked.
Room 418 gets the most reports of haunting activity apparently
from children’s spirits. Cleaning crews report having heard many
strange noises from the room, as well as seeing impressions on the
bed when the room has been empty. When guests stay in the
room, they often report that they hear children playing in the
hallway at night. One couple reportedly checked out of the hotel
very early in the morning, complaining that the children in the
hallway kept them up all night. However, there were no children
booked in the hotel at the time.
There have also been many reports by guests of haunting activities
in Rooms 217 and 401.
Tour guides tell a story of the ghost of a small child who has been
seen by many of the staff in various areas of the old hotel.
Reportedly, Steven King also saw the child, who was calling out to
his nanny on the second floor. Other past employees report
footsteps and apparitions seen throughout the building.
One of the most haunted areas in the entire hotel has got to be the
fourth floor hallway. In a real life scene of horrors thats recreated in
the pages of "The Shining", the spectral voices of children at play.
People will hear the children playing in the hallways, usually
between 2:00 and 4:00am. When people get up to look there are
no children there.
Fourth Floor Hallway
But some of the Stanley ghosts are not so playful as one employee
discovered in the haunted tunnel. A hundred yard long
subterranean corridor hidden under the main building. He was
going back to his office and was going to go through the employee
passageway. As he opened the door he felt as if someone was
going to punch him in the face as quickly ducked out of the way.
But there was nothing there. After he had the chills, goose bumps
and hair raising. He is now a believer. He is just one of the many
employees to have a paranormal encounter at the Stanley Hotel.
One thing is for sure. If you love ghosts you will find what you are
looking for here. If you don't believe try staying a night here and
see how you feel after that.
Excerpts and information from the The Travel Channel and Legends
of America
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